Dell LCD Monitor – 2005FPW vs. 2007FPW

A few weeks ago I had to return my Dell 2005FPW Ultrasharp 20.1″ Widescreen LCD Monitor due to burn-in issues (which resulted in extended use, it seems.) Dell exchanged my monitor for a new 2007FPW monitor (A02 revision without the banding problem A00 had), which is the 2005FPW updated. While having the two together before I shipped off the old one, I decided to compare them to see what differences, if any, were between the two monitors. As it turned out, there were a lot of differences. Here’s the technical differences:

Contrast Ratio:

2005FPW: 600:12007FPW: 800:1

As a general rule, the higher the contrast ratio, the deeper and more accurate the colors are. For example, black looks darker and more uniform on the 2007FPW due to the higher contrast ratio.

Pixel Response Time:

2005FPW: 12ms (grey to grey)2007FPW: 16ms (Unknown)

Dell’s technical specification didn’t really outline what the 16ms pixel response time for the 2007FPW, was it for black to white or grey to grey? Either way, it really doesn’t matter. Companies can be very misleading or outright lying with the numbers due to non-standardized tests in this area. They can use particular tools that favor their equipment to get the best number possible. I rarely trust stated pixel response times when it comes to LCD monitors, the only way you can tell is by using your own eyes, watching a fast-paced movie or playing a fast-paced game to see if there are ghosting artifacts using the monitor.

Not much of a difference really, but one thing I do want to point out is that I don’t get the purplish tint when I view the 2007FPW from a side angle, whereas the 2005FPW had this problem. Another thing I noticed is that the height adjustment for the 2007FPW doesn’t go as high as the 2005FPW can, which is a drawback.

A few other differences is the outside of the 2007FPW has more silver and design to it, while the 2005FPW is more unassuming and plain. The footprint is less on the 2007FPW, while the 2005FPW had a half-circle thing. The 2007FPW feels a bit lighter, and has a thinner bezel. I’ve also noticed the 2007FPW outputs less heat off the top, which is nice, especially if you live in a warmer climate. Finally 2007FPW is said to support HDCP, which isn’t a big deal, but necessary for future-proofing monitors.

With all that said, it feels like I got a nice little upgrade from my old monitor. Games and movies look better, and I don’t notice any ghosting to speak of. The backlight bleeding was bad on the 2005FPW, although I grew used to it and didn’t see it anymore after a week of using it. The 2007FPW suffers from backlight bleeding, but it is significantly reduced and not a factor at all. I also didn’t get a single dead/stuck pixel, which is nice. While it was painful going through Dell’s so-called support to honor my warranty, I’m happy with the 2007FPW.

If you’d like to see the technical specs on both monitors, here’s the one for the 2005FPW, and here’s the one for the 2007FPW.

1 Response to Dell LCD Monitor – 2005FPW vs. 2007FPW

One thing to note is that the 2005FPW uses a S-PVA panel, which is 8-bit color (the purple haze when looking from the side is a trademark of them), while the 2007FPW uses a TN+FILM panel, a cheaper panel that only provides 6-bit color. The 2005FPW is actually the superior monitor.

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